Singer-songwriter-musician Melody Walker started playing the piano when she was six. At age 12 she picked up the guitar and learned how to play and write songs on it at the same time. She headed off to Humboldt State University and then India and Brazil, to study percussion and voice. She co-founded the women's world fusion a cappella group AkaBella. In 2013, her song "Black Grace" took first prize at North Carolina's MerleFest.

Originally from Richmond, VA, singer-songwriter-musician Jacob Groopman also started playing piano at age 6 and then guitar at 12. His first guitar influence was Nirvana, followed by Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. The latter influence tuned him into American folk music. Groopman has toured extensively with the Afrobeat band Albino! and country rockers, The Real Nasty.

Melody and Jacob met in Eureka, California, when their respective bands played the same venue. They discovered a similar love for bluegrass and roots music. One year later they took their music on the road, and for the past two years the Walker-Groopman Duo has toured with what they call their "Americali" style. They also put out two records and the radio and print media are rolling out the superlatives. Home-based in the East Bay, the Walker-Groopman Duo will play Pacifica Performances Saturday night.

"Americali is our best guess at what we do," Walker said. "We play original music with a lot of traditional flavor, and also those more modern bits of Americana — rock, blues, jazz, and country. The 'California' part is usually more apparent to fans in other parts of the country, when we roll into town with our talk of goddesses and supernovae."

Advertisement

With a sprinkling of other tunes, perhaps including a Paul Simon cover, the duo will present songs from their October release, "We Made It Home," which was produced by Grammy-winning Bay Area bluegrass legend Laurie Lewis. (Catch a sampling at http://www.melodywalkermusic.com/home.) Their sound is rural, clear, lovely — with Melody's sweet, crisp vocal pulling the listener deep into the words. Both Walker and Groopman are intricate string players, Melody on guitar and a little banjo, and Jacob on mandolin, guitar and a little banjo. Jacob also has an easy-on-the-ears vocal, lending it primarily in harmony to Melody's lead.

"Over the past two years, we've been all over the place," Groopman said, "Colorado, New York, Michigan, Nebraska. We played the famous Club Passim in Boston, the Down Home in Johnson City, TN, a lot of radio stations, and hip little bars like the 5 Spot in Nashville and Rockwood Music Hall in New York City."

"We have had some amazing highs in the past two years," Walker said. "But it's usually those odd, sort-of lonesome experiences that stand out as more hilarious than anything. We once played a gig at a venue that was essentially a pizza parlor with 30 foot ceilings, and the stage was on this balcony way up above the diners. It was also above the kitchen and ovens — so it was super hot, the sound was horrific, and everyone who walked in was so confused until they finally looked up and saw us playing up in the eaves. We eventually just started messing with people -- talking like God until they figured it out."

Groopman said Walker is the primary songwriter of the duo, but lately they started co-writing, and there are a number of co-writes on their latest record. They are on the same page regarding the importance of music in their lives.

"Making is music is not really a choice for me," Groopman said. "It's just what I do and I'm so lucky that people seem to like the music we make together."

"There is something incredibly therapeutic about playing music," Walker said. "And for some reason songs are the way I process the world. Plus, singing just feels good. I highly recommend it."

Tickets: $20 general. $17 seniors (62+) and students with current ID. $15 members. $12 senior/student members. Under 18 free. Available at door 30 minutes before show or in advance online at www.pacificaperformances.org by Friday, noon.